Soybean is a major oil seed crop and is grown throughout much of the world. The United States alone produces over half of the world output. Soybean seed typically contains 40% protein and 20% oil and is used primarily for livestock feed and industrial purposes, in addition to human consumption. In North America, soybean suffers yield loss from the root and stem rot disease caused by oomycete pathogen Phytophthora sojae. In the United States the annual crop losses from this disease were valued to about 0.2 to 0.3 billion dollars (Wrather et al. 2001). Plant resistance to this and other sort of pathogens present a major problem to soybean growers. For these and other reasons, there is a need to enhance resistance to diseases caused by pathogens in plants without harming the transgenic plant and without resorting to use of environmentally damaging chemicals.